The Irish standard., 1887-07-16
Mr.. DAVITT'S EXPLOITATION
To the Outraged Men Of Bodyke-'-0ne
of the Boldest Speeches Ever Deliv-
cred by the Great Patriot.
sTARVE OUT THE LANDLORDS,


Resistance Of Forcihle Kind Means
Patriotism, and Should be
Made by 1rishman.
These were his fiery words to the
great throng that assembled among the
hills overlooking Bodyke On the mem
orab!e 10Th day of June: My dear
friends. although no one in Bodyke or
it's immediate neighborhood has called
any meeting for to-day, Dublin Castle
mas gone to the trouble, am told. of
issuing proclamation prohibiting and
gathering in this locality. Well, we
may not be exactly upon the spot
where such eventful scenes have been
enacted during the past fortnight, bat
we are here on this hillside overlooking
the field Of battle TO stand up for our
privileges as citizens of civilized
country to hold a public meeting if we
think it desirable to do so. The speak
er's peroration was the most impress
siye portion of his speech. lie said:
There is at present what / say is de-
liberate policy of determination at
work, and now I speak for myself
when ( say that to counsel moderation
under such circumstances would be to
counsel national cowardice in its most
despicable form. People who will not
protect their homes and will not stand
up to protect their rooftrees for their
children will never prove themselves fit
TO defend the rights Of their country.
l have not counsellet any one in this
district to resort to extreme violence,
as you know very we'll. Without arms
in your hands any such advice would
be very criminal. We have no weapons
at our disposal; but I will continue to
advise the people in Ireland and else
where outside Ireland who are threat
ened with evictions to defend their
homesteads anil hearthstones with res
olute determination. This will attract
public attention in Great Britain and
throughout the civilized world to what
is being carried out in the name Of the
law and with the sanction and author
ity Of the government. I know right
we'll the consequences 10 myself Of Civ
ing such advice to my country people,
but will not shrink from the penalty
no matter what it may be. Life to me
would become into'erable We're I to sit
comfortably in security while the class
to which I belong was ground down to
the dust in poverty and persecution.
a good many Of them, doubtless, for
following my advice: will have to go to
prison. Very we'll, to go to prison for
defending their homes like men, and
this is preferable and far more honest
than to go to the workhouse which they
will deserve to go to il they calmly walk
out Of their humble cabins. There is
involved in these eVictions principle
which we must strenuously uphold
against any odds. and this is the inviol-
able rights Of the hearthstone and
honest eads. These rights are the very
OF civilized society, but for
that security for the C<1Tnes lefty Of the
family, where would all human stseiety
be. Now let nae suppose for mo-
ment, will only put it for suppo-
sition, that the masses were TO retail |
ate by levelling the mansions Of the
rich, what would be the effect upon So
ciety in these three countries? You
know right we'll it would soon be re-
1uced to a state OF chaos. Well, |
maintain that to pull down the hovel of |
the humblest peasant in this Or in any
district in Ireland is as great crime
10 matter though it be peypetrated by |
The English--as if the mansion belong
ng to the Wealthiest landlord were % |
be treated in the same way. Now, sup
posing that we admitted (which we do
notl that the land Of Bodyke belongs to
Colonel O'Callaghan, who CAN dare to
say that the houses built in that valley |
1y the tenantry belonged TO the usurp-
IL Of the soil? Let the government, if |
t will, help the landlord to retain pos
session Of the soil which in Justice be
ongs to him, but By what right does
la take, and by what right does he
lestroy, the property that these people
rave created in these houses, TO tue
,reation Of which property the land
ord has not contributed one single
pound? I maintain that this is only
mother form Of legalized robbery, and
hat the government which carried out
hese outrages against the people in
his way is more criminal than the
andlords. I am satisfied that if the
people of this district and other parts
# Ireland make a resolute stand for
be right Of the homestead, the demand
or a homestead law such as that which
;xists in America and elsewhere, that
hey will have the material sympathy
# every householder in England.